Get started planning e-portfolios by following these 10 tips:

Tip #1: Design assignments with curriculum goals and objectives and e-portfolios in mind.

Tip #2: Integrate technology whenever possible to support 21st Century learners.

Tip #3: Focus on materials that could be included in an e-portfolio to encourage students to find innovative ways to demonstrate their achievement:

Tip #4: Suggest students electronically store their work in one place so they can easily find, select, and upload work that best demonstrates their achievements.

Tip #5: Model the process in order to support and develop students’ skills in the appropriate selection of artifacts.

Tip #6: Support the personalization of e-portfolios to motivate and engage learners.

Tip #7: Consider the use of e-portfolio buddies or partners. This would entail partnering students to encourage each other through the selection of artifacts, posting, and reflection process.

Tip #8: Provide prompts to support student reflections.

Sample:

Date:

Content Area:

Title of Activity:

This piece of work belongs in my e-portfolio because….

Through the completion of this activity I have learned…

In the future I would like to extend my learning beyond what I currently know by…

Tip #9: Encourage students to understand that their e-portfolio is a practical and effective way to visually communicate growth and pinpoint progress to anyone interested in their success as a learner.

Tip #10: Use this E-Portfolio Planning Sheet (pdf) as a guide to help you with your thinking.

Think about it…

• What e-portfolio ideas could you share and submit?

About the Author

In addition to being a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of eight, professionally Barbara Pace:

• Teaches online courses in computers & curriculum for Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Design with an Emphasis on Technology from Indiana University
Is the Online Design Consultant for the Nursing Department at the University of Indianapolis

So let’s say you’re convinced that e-portfolios are in your future. Now what?! How do you begin? Think big, start small, and if you are alone in your efforts to implement e-portfolios, find others to support you such as a partner or an administrator. Research shows that it takes a team or strong leadership to effectively implement a program. Once your team is in place the planning can begin.

Guidelines to consider

Begin by asking a lot of questions of yourself and of other stakeholders that may be involved in supporting e-portfolio development over an extended period of time.

• Step 1: Define or establish the purpose and objectives of the e-portfolio. What issues will they aim to address? What type of support will the learner need? What type of support will the teacher(s) need?
• Step 2: Understand what kind of learning outcomes will be expected. E-portfolios offer real potential/benefits, but what are the implications for students? Teachers? The school? The district? The technology department? It’s important to make sure that portfolio content matches the assessment needs of stakeholders.
• Step 3: Prepare for laying the groundwork with students. What will the e-portfolio guidelines include? Be realistic about your expectations; communicate the implementation strategies and timelines clearly and establish an understanding of the value of engaging in life-long learning and reflection. (More about student expectations below.)
• Step 4: Engage all stakeholders. Identify the most effective strategies for engaging and sustaining the commitment of teachers, learners, and tech staff in supporting the use of e-portfolios.
• Step 5: Implement the plan by identifying how e-portfolio use will be overseen and monitored for purposeful, ongoing use. What factors will influence the intended outcomes?
• Step 6: Review how the tool will be used and evaluated over time. What evaluation methods will explore and produce reflective feedback from students? What methods of evaluation will explore and produce feedback from teachers?

What are student responsibilities in e-portfolio development?

In preparation for establishing guidelines with the students, consideration should be given to the following five steps inherent in the development of effective electronic portfolios:

• Selection: the development of criteria for choosing items to include in the portfolio based on established learning objectives.
• Collection: the gathering of items based on the portfolio’s purpose, audience, future use, and requirements. Over the years, some of the work will need to be weeded out, but the artifacts that continue to show learning that has brought a person to the place they are now should be kept.
• Reflection: statements reflecting on or explaining the significance of each item and how it illustrates mastery of a learning goal or standard.
• Direction: looking ahead and setting future goals following a review of the reflections.
• Connection: opportunities for feedback.

Will the e-portfolio be assessed?

If so, the criteria for assessment should be shared with the students. Many educational theories support the use of the portfolio as an assessment tool. While not required, assessment can be one way for students to receive purposeful and meaningful feedback from teachers, peers, and family members. Assessments that work well with e-portfolios are those that recognize a student’s individual strengths, abilities, experiences, and intelligences.

One of the best techniques for assessing work in a portfolio is the rubric. These assessment tools clarify teacher expectations by offering meaningful scoring criteria. Specific rubrics can be developed to fit individual projects. However, generic rubrics with predetermined criteria can be developed or found online to help students or evaluators in making assessments. Criteria could include such topics as: relevance of artifact, quality of information, reflection, organization, and use of multimedia.

See these two examples of rubrics:

• http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/eportfoliorubric.html
• http://www.danwilton.com/eportfolios/rubric.php

Where else can information be found related to e-portfolio development?

Articles & Resources

There may be no better way to document learning over time than to begin when students are young! Below are several resources related to portfolios that can be adapted for use in an electronic portfolio.

• Planning & Preparing Portfolios
• Documenting Young Children’s Learning

How do you want students to use their e-portfolio? Here are several suggestions:

• NET-S Standards for Students (pdf)
• The Meaning & Use of e-Portfolios

Other electronic portfolio resources:

• Electronic Portfolios in the K-12 Classroom – Mary Daniels Brown
• E-portfolios & 21st Century Literacy Skills
• Electronic Portfolios: A chapter in Educational Technology; An Encyclopedia – Helen Barrett
• Electronic Portfolios – Information about Electronic Portfolio Development and Digital Storytelling – Helen Barrett
• Electronic Portfolios: students, Teachers, and Lifelong Learners
• E-Portfolios – Diana Greco
• Why use e-Portfolios?
• Web-Based Electronic Portfolios (pdf article)

Think about it . . .

• What if schools or districts supported student-centered, e-portfolio implementation that would enable hundreds or thousands of students to examine and reflect on their learning across semesters, school years, courses, and disciplines?
• How comfortable are you with constructivist teaching, a theory that promotes product-based outcomes in keeping with the e-portfolio format?

About the Author

In addition to being a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of eight, professionally Barbara Pace:

• Teaches online courses in computers & curriculum for Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Design with an Emphasis on Technology from Indiana University
Is the Online Design Consultant for the Nursing Department at the University of Indianapolis

Why bother with e-portfolios?

E-portfolios are easy-to-access ‘”stories of learning” that can promote active learning, motivate students, inspire technology integration, and showcase “benchmark” performances. In addition, they encourage feedback and discussions about performance and growth that can be beneficial to students, teachers, parents, educators, and future employers. However, an e-portfolio’s true benefits cannot be realized without thoughtful planning and preparation of staff and students that will be involved in the e-portfolio process, which includes:

• Gathering and identifying artifacts that best represent new learning
• Posting and sharing artifacts in the online environment
• Articulating new knowledge, skills, and disposition
• Determining future learning goals for the 21st Century learner

Of all the theories that support portfolios, Constructivism, which emphasizes the process of learning, embraces that concept in most every way. Students must reflect on their past accomplishments, what they now know and understand, and then determine the direction they want to take in the future. If this is done over time, learning will become more meaningful as students become self-reflective, self-confident, lifelong learners. In addition, they will have a record (or documentation) of personal development to share with others, including teachers, family, friends, university admissions, or future employers anytime, anywhere. If e-portfolios are implemented properly, students will demonstrate educational achievement during and after their formal education concludes.

What’s your vision for what an e-portfolio should be?

With this information in mind, think about which of these definitions relates to your vision, or purpose, of what an e-portfolio should be:

1. …a purposeful, online collection of student work, designed to encourage reflective thinking and self-directed learning (Bower, Rolheiser & Stevahn).
2. …a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student’s efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas. The collection must include student participation in selecting content, the criteria for selection, the criteria for judging merit, and evidence of student self-reflection (Helen Barrett, http://electronicportfolios.com/).
3. …an authentic assessment practice
4. …an end-of-year summative evaluation
5. …a collection of student work that represents a sampling of the achievements of that student (Anderson & Bachor)
6. …the process of reflection that prompts active learning and ensures each student is a prime stakeholder in their education (Kish, et al.)
7. …a way to enhance teaching and learning (Gathercoal, et al.)
8. …an archive of one’s work, achievements, ideas, thoughts and feelings which reflect an individual’s intellectual, emotional, and social development.

There is no single right way to incorporate e-portfolios into the educational experience.

The trick for teachers is to identify the long-range plans, goals, and audiences for the e-portfolio’s purposeful use as well as colleagues to support the efforts. Below is a list of examples of how educators are successfully incorporating e-portfolios into the school day. In addition to using e-portfolios as a way to capture, document, and store evidence of learning, they are being used in these ways:

• …to exhibit “benchmark” performance
• …to encourage reflection
• …to celebrate learning with self, family, and friends
• …as a way to share learning between grade levels with teachers
• …for college admittance
• …for employment application
• …to motivate students and support different learning feedback
• …for reflection, planning, and setting goals

Hartnell-Young et al. (2007) Impact study of e-portfolios on learning

What role do e-portfolios play?

The e-portfolio is beneficial for learners throughout their educational experience. First, they can showcase a learner’s educational development and growth. Secondly, they can serve as a planning and goal-setting tool for future educational or work experiences. Both at the university admissions level and at the workplace level, the contents of e-portfolios can showcase a person’s character, abilities, creativity, self-assessment, organization, and more.

Learn more about the benefits of e-portfolios (pdf).

Think about it . . .

• How would you like to see students create and use their e-portfolio?
• What type of support do you have or would you like to have in the implementation of the e-portfolios?
• Do you want their template layout to be individualized or uniform? Should they be encouraged to incorporate multi-media? Should reflective journaling related to the chosen work be an expectation? Should their site move with the student from grade level to grade level?

In the next blog post, I will address these questions and others. In the meantime, please share your thoughts, concerns, and questions.

References

Anderson, J. O. & Bachor, D. (1998). A Canadian perspective on portfolio use in student assessment. Assessment in Education, 5(3), 353-379.

Enhancing Literacy Learning with Technology: http://www.freewebs.com/metalteam/eportfolios.htm

Why use e-Portfolios?: http://members.shaw.ca/technology/assignments/presentation/2whyuse.htm#21st%20Century

About the Author

In addition to being a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of eight, professionally Barbara Pace:

• Teaches online courses in computers & curriculum for Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Design with an Emphasis on Technology from Indiana University
Is the Online Design Consultant for the Nursing Department at the University of Indianapolis

Editor’s Note: We’ve again enlisted the expertise of Barbara Pace, who in this four-part series will talk about the roles and value of electronic portfolios. She’ll also provide some guidelines and tips based on her extensive background in education. Enjoy!

• They are not digital scrapbooks!
• They are not places to store students’ fondest school memories!
• They are not places to post every “A” ever received!

Instead, e-portfolios are digital representations of a person’s best work or proudest endeavors based on the honest reflections of who he or she is as a learner.

The e-portfolio tool itself is simply an online template into which students creatively organize representations of their best work over time. If used correctly, the tool serves as a depository for technology-based collections created by learners to showcase their stories of KNOWING and GROWING over time.

• KNOWING about things, one’s self, and the audience.
• GROWTH as an individual and as a reflective learner.

These digital artifacts, once posted in an e-portfolio, celebrate each person’s story of educational growth over a period of time. The features within an e-portfolio enable students to share what they have learned and understood as they thoughtfully select memorable samples of work that illustrate their experiences, efforts, progress, and achievements. These collections are for the personal benefit of the developer as well as audiences such as educators, family members, universities, and future employers.

What type of portfolio will be created and why?

Three of the most common types of portfolios include:

• Working or Project Portfolios, which contain projects students are currently working on or have recently completed. Over time, the students select items from the portfolio for a more permanent display or as part of an assessment portfolio. This type of portfolio is primarily for the benefit of the student and teacher, but parents can also view it to track student progress.
• Display Portfolios, which showcase samples of students’ best work over time. Students find this type of portfolio most rewarding. They are responsible for choosing and reflecting on the work that will be posted. The audience for this type of portfolio ranges from peers to parents, educators, university personnel, and employers.
• Assessment Portfolios, which present work demonstrating that students have met specific curriculum learning goals and requirements over a period of time. Students should reflect on the showcased work. The audience for assessment portfolios includes parents, teachers, department heads, and various levels of administration.

Like all worthwhile learning experiences, the e-portfolio should be integral to what students do and not simply an add-on. For students growing up in the 21st Century, this digital approach to reflective learning could be a natural extension of the technology-driven people they are becoming. It’s definitely worth considering.

What types of artifacts can be included in an e-portfolio?

E-portfolios are capable of holding a greater variety of sample work than a traditional portfolio. Both flat and multimedia files can be housed in an e-portfolio. Flat files could include original formats such as Word or Excel documents, or PDF files of scanned images, drawings, or graphic organizers. Media files could be files containing sound, animation, hyperlinks, slide shows, and video clips.

Think about it . . .

• What’s your own vision for e-portfolio use?
• Why should students share their story of educational and personal growth with a larger audience (and who might that audience be)?
• Should e-portfolios be assessed as part of the students’ grades and, if so, how?
• Who will determine the extent to which the tool is used in your district, school, grade level, or department?

In the next blog post, I will address these questions. In the meantime please share your thoughts, concerns, and questions in the comments area below.

About the Author

In addition to being a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of eight, professionally Barbara Pace:

• Teaches online courses in computers & curriculum for Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Design with an Emphasis on Technology from Indiana University
Is the Online Design Consultant for the Nursing Department at the University of Indianapolis

Have you ever felt so passionate about something that you wanted to share your passion with others so they, too, could experience your enthusiasm? Have you ever wished that the leadership in your school or organization felt the same way you did? After all, they are the ones in a position to make a positive impact on others…or are they? Leaders are not simply people hired into a position as the boss, the supervisor, the manager, or the principal.

Leaders can be found all around us.

Years ago, I was drawn to a mild-mannered man whose leadership philosophy was simple, practical, and nothing but inspiring. John Yokoyama was found in a most unlikely place: a Seattle fish market. With the integrity and commitment every leader should have, he envisioned the possibilities of the way things could become at his place of business. After sharing his vision with his employees, Yokoyama set out to empower and inspire them through a shared leadership approach. Their daily challenge was to look for opportunities to positively impact others in four ways:

• First of all, by being there (being present) emotionally, for people. Showing a caring attitude towards others indicates respect for them and helps with communication and relationship building.
• Next, by playing. Playing can release energy, creativity, and an enthusiasm for the task at hand, even if it is simply playing with an idea.
• Then, by “Making their Day” in positive, honest, no-strings-attached ways through small gestures that show people you care.
• Finally, by choosing your attitude, which simply means to take responsibility for how we respond to what life throws at us, whether from home or the place.”Once you are aware that your choice impacts everyone around you, you can determine whether your attitude is helping those around you or the person you want to be.

Think about it!

What are you passionate about? What are you doing as a “behind-the-scenes” leader to impact others? What does your attitude say about you as someone whose opinion should be valued? Is it possible to find opportunities, in an online learning environment, to positively impact and support others? If so, how…if not, why not?

About the Author

In addition to being a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of eight, professionally Barbara Pace is:

• the Professional Development Website Facilitator for the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township
• the district’s on-site Coordinator of an Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis online master’s program, “Curriculum and Design with an Emphasis on Technology”;
• one of 15 participants in the master’s program (Graduating: December ’09)
• the Online Design Consultant for the Nursing Department at the University of Indianapolis

Barbara uses Haiku LMS in all three course situations listed above.